Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-09-13
HOW IT HAPPENED.
Additional Particulars Of the Awful Ac-
cidsnt On the -. y. p. 4 .. Monday
Morning - Engineer Haiey's Watch
StoDDSd.

Additional Particulars ef the Aw ful Ac-
cidsnt On the -. y. =. 4 o. Monday
Morning - Engineer Haiey's Watch
stopped.
Ii seems impossible even yet to obtain
anything like an accurate account Of the
friy htful wreck which occurred OH the \.
Y. p. Il o. railroad near Peoria, Union
county, Monday morning. All accounts of
the wreck vary in essential particulars, but
that given in Mondays RErUBLIC has been
shown by later developments to have been
very accurate.
The weight of evidence seems TO indicate
that the express tram collided with freight
train, although it has been said that It was
not freight but wild" engine not at
tached to any cars. At all events, the en-
gine OF freight. whichever 1t was. was run
ming wild
1t is claimed bv Haley, engineer of the
| wild" freight, that something was wrong
with his watch, but he did not know 1t until
the awful disaster. The express did not
slack up at Peoria. and about one minute
after passing the end of the switch. while
| running forty-five miles an hour. met the
| wild" freight. which. although it should
have kept out of the way OF all regular
| trains. was coming west at the same rate OF
| speed as the express train. and the crash
came The two engines were demolished.
| Engineer Gregg, holding to the throttle.
was crushed to almost a shapeless mass,
and Fireman Patsey McNeff was hurled
| from the engine. and his skull cracked, ana
doctors say he must die.
The bumpers Cf all the five cars Of the
express train were smashed and the cars
| jammed together and twisted, but no pas
Senger was injured. WreckinS crews from
| both ends of the line were hastened to the
| scene aud worked all day clearing away the
| debris. The loss is about $3.50 Trains
| we're switched off ut Urbana. using the l..
| B. K w. railway to Bellefontaine, and the
Bee Line thence to Marion, distance OF
sixty miles.
The passengers on the express, without
exception. escaped unhurt. although
several were badly shaken up. Norman
Gregg. the i'll fated engineer of the ex-
press. lived in Gallon, at the other end of
| his run. and leaves . wife and family there.
He was a regular veteran. and had run the
| fastest trains out Of this city. Careful and
cautious, it was by no fault OF his that the
accident occurred. He was queer char
acter. fond of making joke aid chuckling
at them himself He used to smoke an
old pipe which had seen service for years.
HIS duty seemed uppermost in his mind,
an. he was always on time. On fast OF
slow run he was equally reliable. and the
| farmers could set their watches by his train
| Kind and faithful. could there be bettel
| record to leave to pOsterity?
| The DAYTON Democrat has the following
this morning:
| LATER-It was discovered that the &C
cident took place in fog and that the pas,
senger train colided with light engine
and not one attached to freight. The
wreck was not so large, although the Ell.
gines were demolished. Tim Haley. "i
Gallon. was engineer on the ill-fated la b
engine He is seriously injured. perhaps
fatally. Lou Richards, his fireman. was
fireman. was almost uninjured. and Dan.
Good. a brakeman, was thrown into corn
field but not very seriously injured. Deati
came TO Engineer Gregg. OF the passenger
train. instantly. rs he was struck by somt
OF the tenders running gear. Patsy Nc
Neff. his brakeman. is dangerously injured
One arm and leg were broken. The cause
Of the accident was that the watch OF En-
gineer Haley gave out.